National anthem of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East. It is also the largest producer of oil in the world. Saudi Arabia contains the two holiest cities in the religion of Islam. Its capital is Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia covers four fifths of the Arabian Peninsula, a large triangle of land between Africa and Asia. Saudi Arabia shares borders with Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. The Red Sea runs along the western border. The Persian Gulf lies to the east.

Almost all of Saudi Arabia’s land is flat desert. The Rubʿ al-Khali desert in the southeast is the longest stretch of sand in the world. Its name means “empty quarter.” A steep wall of mountains rises in the west.

Most of Saudi Arabia has little rainfall, very hot summers, and mild winters. There are no lakes or rivers that flow year-round. The country depends on underground water supplies.

Small shrubs and herbs are the main plants in Saudi Arabia. Some grasses and trees grow in the southwest, near the Red Sea. Date trees grow in oases, which are rare fertile spots in the desert.

Animals include foxes, wolves, hyenas, mongooses, porcupines, and baboons. Smaller numbers of gazelles, leopards, and mountain goats also live in the country. A type of white antelope called an oryx is also found in Saudi Arabia, though it is very rare. The country’s birds include falcons, eagles, ravens, and flamingos.

Saudis, or Arabs born in Saudi Arabia, make up most of the population. The rest of the people are mainly Arabs from other countries and South Asians. Some black Africans live along the Red Sea coast. Arabic is the main language.

Most Saudi Arabians live in cities and towns. The largest cities are Riyadh and Jiddah. Saudi Arabia’s other major cities include Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam. Every year millions of Muslims from around the world visit Mecca.

Almost all Saudi Arabians practice Islam. Following Islamic law, women and men are separated in public areas. Women also cover themselves with a black veil in public. Men traditionally wear head coverings and flowing white robes.

Saudi Arabia’s economy depends on the production and sale of petroleum, or oil. The country also uses its oil to make fuels, chemicals, and other products. Other factories make cement and metal products. Services—including tourism, banking, and communications—are also important to the economy.

Agriculture is limited in Saudi Arabia. Crops can be grown only in oases or by using artificial watering systems called irrigation. The crops include wheat, alfalfa, dates, tomatoes, and melons. Sheep, goats, and camels are the main livestock.

Humans have lived near the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years. In ancient times kingdoms on the peninsula controlled trade routes between Africa and Asia.

Birth of Islam

Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca in about ad 570. In 622 he moved from Mecca to Medina. This is said to mark the start of Islam. Before Muhammad died in 632, he brought most of the Arabian Peninsula under Islamic rule. In the following centuries Islam spread far beyond the peninsula.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In 1517 the Ottoman Turks made the Arabian Peninsula part of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans held only loose control, however. Saudi ruling families held most of the real power.

In the 1700s the Saʿud family joined with religious leaders to take control of the peninsula. By the end of the 1920s the leader Ibn Saʿud had conquered all of what is now Saudi Arabia. In 1932 he formed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saʿud kings ruled Saudi Arabia into the 21st century.

Oil

Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938. The country became a major supplier of oil to the United States and the rest of the Western world. The sale of oil allowed the Saudi government to build many new roads, schools, hospitals, and other buildings. Saudi Arabia became a leading power in the Middle East.

Modern Saudi Arabia

King Fahd took the Saudi throne in 1982. In 1990 Iraq invaded the neighboring country of Kuwait. King Fahd feared that Iraq might next invade Saudi Arabia. He invited the United States and other countries to put together a huge military force in his country. The military force defeated Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

In the late 1990s King Fahd passed much of his power to his half brother, Crown Prince Abdullah. After King Fahd died in 2005, Abdullah became king. King Abdullah made a number of reforms during his reign, especially in the area of women’s rights. He opened the first Saudi university that allowed men and women to study together. He also ruled that women would be able to vote and run for local elections starting in 2015. King Abdullah died on January 23, 2015. He was succeeded by his half brother, Crown Prince Salman.

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